Finally! A sunny warm(ish) spring day led me to the Dungeness River Dike Trail. Starting at the Old Dungeness Schoolhouse, it’s about a 3 mile in-and-out trail along the top of the levee built by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1964.
The Old Dungness Schoolhouse marks the start of the trail. There’s room for more than a dozen vehicles in the parking lot.
Red winged blackbird hanging out in the rushes on Towne Road just down from the schoolhouse.
The flat trail (which is a bit bumpy for bike riding) runs alongside the Dungeness River and there are several spot you can take to head down to the river. If you don’t mind muddy shoes! Towards the end of the trail, you get some nice views of the Dungeness Valley Creamery fields.
Lots of spring blooms along the trail.
Lamium purpureum, more colorfully known as red dead-nettle.
Ceanothus velutinus, commonly called snowbrush ceanothus, red root, and tobacco brush.
The salmonberry is just about done flowering. The slightly tart delicious berries will show up in early to mid July.
If you’re taking a picture of a yellow-rumped warbler, at least get a picture of its rump. Which is about all I managed to get.
A bald eagle circled lazily overhead.
A pair of Canada Geese waddled through the river rock. Didn’t manage to catch a picture of their goslings – those little guys move fast!
If you’re planning on walking this trail, do it soon. Clallam County for decades has been working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, state agencies and the Jamestown S’Kallam Tribe to move the east Dungeness River dike further east across Towne Road, which would let the river meander through its natural floodplain to reduce flood risks and to improve habitat for salmon and other wildlife.
The Jamestown S’Kallam Tribe has completed their portion of the project. Clallam County will construct a companion setback levee, which also includes relocating and upgrading Towne Road. When completed (projected completion date is Summer 2022), the old levee will be breached.
Links of Interest:
- 20 Years in the Making: Levee Sparks Dungeness River Restoration
- Progress Continues at River’s Edge – North Olympic Land Trust
- Lower Dungeness River Floodplain Restoration – Clallam County, WA website
